


Jackson F.C

by thelostofus



Category: The Last of Us (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:15:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26084791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thelostofus/pseuds/thelostofus
Summary: Ellie's dream was to play football, and that dream looked like it was about to come true as she joined Jackson F.C.
Relationships: Dina & Ellie (The Last of Us), Dina & Jesse (The Last Of Us), Dina & Joel (The Last of Us), Dina/Ellie (The Last of Us), Ellie & Jesse (The Last of Us), Ellie & Joel (The Last of Us), Ellie & Maria (The Last of Us)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 48





	1. A New Destination

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing a fanfic so I apologise for any mistakes or cringe! I absolutely loved both games and I wanted to write a modern fic based on the two characters that I absolutely adore. Thanks for reading & I hope you enjoy.

6 years earlier -

"Nice shot Ellie, just try to use your other foot more." Joel praised.

"Since when were you a hotshot football player, Joel?" Ellie asked, her amusement clearly showing on her face.

"Listen kid, I've watched a lot of football over my time and I even used to play a little back in my day."

"Were you any good?"

"Hell no, ' had two left feet but you have a left and right one, so use 'em both, you amateur!"

"Get off my back, old man! Coach says I'm doin' great in training, thinks I could make it one day."

"Oh yeah? That's great, kiddo. I'm proud of you, y'know?"

"I know, thanks Joel."

* * *

Now -

A blaring alarm rang, waking Ellie up at 5:30am. Her grogginess was more apparent this morning due to her lack of sleep from the nerves that swarmed through her. Pulling her trainers on, Ellie left the quiet house and went on her daily run. Running for Ellie was a must. It was one of the only ways of acknowledging her feelings and understanding herself. She always found it was best to start with a run, clearing her mind before her day began.

Today, however, was quite different. It was the first day of her football training camp, getting ready for the season ahead. Ellie's passion for football had grown immensely over the past six years, and her skill grew with it. She had been scouted throughout school, impressing a range of teams. She'd received numerous offers, but her heart had been set on Jackson F.C for as long as she could remember. Jackson F.C were a well-known club amongst the leagues, often finding themselves within the top three across the past five seasons. Ellie wanted to prove herself, but she also wanted a challenge. She knew that she would have to fight for a starting spot on the team, and she was willing to do that.

Coming back to her senses, Ellie realised that she had been running for almost an hour but was nearing home. Living with Joel had been easy; they respected each other’s boundaries, Joel helped Ellie with her practice and they got along like a house on fire. Leaving him for the next couple of months was daunting, Ellie hadn't really ever been away from Joel for a long period of time since he adopted her eight years ago when she was eleven. She knew that she would miss his presence greatly, but this was the opportunity of a lifetime. Joel knew how much this meant to Ellie, and he was most certainly her biggest supporter. He knew that Ellie was nervous about moving away and about whether she would be able to make it onto the team, though there was no doubt in his mind that she would.

Reaching her home, Ellie ran up the stairs, unlocked the front door and made her way inside. She got herself a cold glass of water and began to make herself and Joel some breakfast. Ellie wasn't the best cook, however she did know how to whip up a few meals. She opted for a vegetable omelette, making Joel a cup of coffee along with it. She'd never quite understood his love for coffee, but she always made him one when she made breakfast.

"Joel! Breakfast!" Ellie shouted, serving up her own plate and taking a seat at the table. Loud, clumsy footsteps approached from the ageing stairs, a clear sign that Joel had heard her.

"Mornin', kiddo. Thanks for makin' breakfast, ' was gonna do it myself since the occasion." Joel greeted, his southern drawl even more noticeable in the early hours of the morning.

"It's alright, needed to get my mind off things anyway." Ellie replied, the nerves still coursing through her mind.

"You deserve this Ellie, y'always have. You're bound to be nervous but the moment you're on that pitch, those nerves won't be there anymore. Y'once asked since when was I a hotshot football player, well I think we both know I was never destined to be, but you are, alright? 'm so proud of you and I know these next few months are gonna be great for you." It wasn't often that Joel and Ellie shared sentiments, it was clear that they loved each other, but they never really spoke the words. Joel knew Ellie had doubted her ability before, had doubted whether she deserved this opportunity, and he wanted to tell her that no one deserved this more than her.

"Aren't you quite the sap?" Ellie jested, getting up from her seat at the table. "Thank you Joel, for everything. You've always believed in me and you'll never know how much I appreciate it. Love you, old man." Ellie said, putting her arms around the man who she never called dad, but knew he was.

"Love you too, kiddo. Now don't miss me too much, alright? And don't you be forgettin' about me when they realise you're the next big thing." Joel said as he reciprocated the hug.

"I wouldn't dream of it. You wouldn't let me forget either!"

As it approached 7am, Ellie gathered her packed bags and put them in Joel's truck. Since they wouldn't see each other for two months, Joel wanted to drive Ellie to the airport where she would meet her teammates. Not only was it her first time meeting them, but also her first time leaving the country.

The drive to the airport was comfortable, Joel had the radio on and Future Days by Pearl Jam softly filled both Joel and Ellie's ears. Joel knew that when Ellie got in her own head, it took her a while to get out of it, so he let her be. She was thinking about everything: leaving Joel, going to England, meeting her teammates. Everything felt so sudden, but this is what she had wanted for so long. The drive was around 45 minutes due to the traffic, feeling much quicker than that to Ellie as Joel pulled in to the drop-off bay. "Well kiddo, here we are. Never been on a plane myself, couldn't tell you what to expect. 'm sure you'll fit right in with your team, Ellie, I want you to make yourself proud alright? You're gonna be amazin', just you wait." Joel praised, helping Ellie get her bags out of the truck as she absentmindedly stroked her tattooed arm.

"What if they don't like me, Joel?" Ellie questioned, her fear from earlier setting in again.

"They'd be stupid not to. I like ya, don't I? And I don't like many people, so you must be special. Really, Ellie, I bet you'll make some splendid relationships." Joel replied, easing Ellie's nerves slightly.

"I sure hope you're right. Well, thanks for the ride...I best be going now then..."

"Oh come here." Joel quipped, pulling Ellie into a hug she so clearly needed. "I'm proud of ya. I'll see you when you get home, you hear me? Show 'em what you're made of, kiddo." Joel unwrapped his arms but Ellie held on just a little longer, remembering the comforting hug for if she needed it within the next two months.

She grabbed her bags, making her way into the airport to find her team. Her coach (whom she had had some contact with before as she had met with her and signed the contract) had texted her where they'd be meeting. The rest of the team had arrived via the team bus, but Ellie spoke with her coach telling her she'd like to spend the last morning with Joel. Her coach was fine with this, as long as she met the team on time. Making her way into the airport and towards the departures area, she saw the group sitting together on some blue lounge chairs. It was now or never. Walking over, her coach noticed her first and spoke, "Hey Ellie, you feeling okay? Excited?"

"Yeah, very. Lookin' forward to training, really." Ellie replied. It wasn't very often that Ellie said much, having always been quiet. There were few exceptions with who she was less reserved around, Joel being one of them.

"Good, that's what I like to hear. Want me to introduce you to the girls?" Chloe, her coach, asked. Ellie replied with a swift nod, wanting to get it out of the way as soon as possible. "Alright girls, listen up. This is Ellie, the final member of the team. She's a striker, and a very good one at that. You've all had a head-start on getting to know each other so make her feel welcome, yeah? Since we're all here, we can get going now." Chloe patted Ellie's shoulder before turning to lead the group to the departures.

Ellie stood for a second, taking in what was actually happening. Everything felt completely surreal, as if she was stuck in a dream that she couldn't wake up from, not that she wanted to. Ellie felt a gentle tap on her back and as she turned around, she saw one of her teammates. "Hey! I'm Josie, I'm gonna be one of our goalkeepers, Chloe said you're a striker right? Looks like we'll be on different ends of the field, ha!" Ellie was slightly taken aback by how bubbly this girl was, but she certainly made Ellie feel less awkward as she spoke.

"Hi, yeah I'm a striker. So, you know everyone in the group now? I guess I have a bit of catching up to do."

"I don't know everyone! I only really spoke to Lucy, a midfielder, and another striker, Dina. From what I've heard, they're expecting big things outta her. She also seems lovely, she's the one up front there with Chloe. Lovely personality, I think she's gonna do a lot for the team. So, Ellie, where are you from? What do you like to do aside from football?" Ellie had never really been questioned like this before, she hadn't really made many friends throughout her earlier years.

"Uh, I'm from Jackson, lived up there for around eight years. I guess I don't really do much outside of football. I play guitar every now and then, my...Joel taught me. I also like reading comics, but that's about it. I'm not a very excitin' person. What about you?"

"Guitar? Oh my gosh, that's so cool! We'll have to find a guitar out there in England somewhere and you'll have to show me! I'm more of a horse girl myself. I have two back home, Belle and Daisy. But, football's my dream so I had to say bye to them for a couple months. They know I'll be back though, we have a great bond! Do you like horses, Ellie?" Josie asked.

This girl was quite something. Ellie had never met such a positive soul before, it was quite different from what she had ever known. "Uh, I mean, I don't not like them? I rode this horse a few times, Callus, but he was special. Joel's brother, Tommy, he uh gave him to me for a while. He was a good horse. Well, he still is, I just gave him back to Tommy since I knew I'd be coming out here for a while."

Josie was about to respond when Chloe took the team up to the departure desk. They had a flight from Wyoming to Chicago, and a flight from Chicago to London. It took them around 45 minutes to get through the airport, including check-in and security. Ellie stayed with Josie , feeling comfortable around the girl who always had a question to ask. The airport was quite busy; departures and arrivals exchanging places in the airport constantly. It felt as though the rush of the people within the airport was the same as the thoughts inside her head, new ones entering at the same rate that old ones left. Time continued to pass by, the gate opened shortly after the team made it through security. Everything seemed to be passing by at a quicker pace than normal. Perhaps it was Ellie's excitement or nerves that was causing the illusion. It wasn't long thereafter that the girls were making their way onto the plane to Chicago.

"Ellie, where are you sat? I'm in 27B! Show me your ticket...27A, you're next to me. Look at that! You want the window seat?"

"Nah, it's fine, easier to stretch my legs in the aisle. Thanks though." Ellie replied, feeling claustrophobic as she actually took in her surroundings. After around five minutes of being seated, the cabin crew begun to make their way down the aisles after doing the safety demonstration, checking that seatbelts were fastened and overhead lockers were sealed. The person sat in front of Ellie pushed back on their chair causing it to slightly recline.

"Shit, sorry. I didn't mean to do that!" The girl, who Ellie really couldn't determine a face of, apologised. A muffled voice came from the speakers - "5 minutes to takeoff."

"S'alright. Didn't know they did that." Ellie replied, worried that her chair would randomly spring back mid-flight. The other girl turned around, figuring that Ellie wasn't mad about the accidental chair surprise.

"I can't wait to get to England! I'm so excited to see the stadium. Oh my god, look we're moving!" Josie excitedly squealed causing Ellie to grip the arm rest harder.

As the plane was taxied to the runway, Ellie's anxiety grew in the pit of her stomach. It wasn't until the plane shot down the runway for takeoff that Ellie audibly gasped, "Holy fuck, what the fuck? What the fuck is happening? Josie, is this normal?"

"Yeah totally fine, just lean your head back, we'll be up before you know it!"

"I'd rather we stay on the ground to be honest..." Ellie murmured, realising that she would be going through this again on her second flight.


	2. You're pretty cool...

The rest of the journey went as expected. Any hint of turbulence caused Ellie to grip the arm rest until her hands turned white. Landing was a particularly traumatic experience as Ellie thought they weren't close enough to the runway, not realising that she couldn't fully see the surrounding area outside of the small window, especially due to being sat in the aisle seat. Underneath her worry, Ellie felt a little embarrassed and rather apologetic toward her new friend, Josie, who had had to put up with her trembling for the entire duration of the flight. Josie insisted it was fine, and even surprised Ellie by inviting her to set next to her on the flight to England too. It turned out that, unlike the earlier plane which had two seats at either side, the plane to England had three seats at either side. Ellie maintained the aisle position, again not feeling secure enough being that close to the window, wondering what would happen if the glass shattered mid-flight. Josie took the middle seat as a girl was already sat in the seat closest to the window. It was there that Josie introduced her to Dina and told her all about Ellie's new fear of flying. Dina was gorgeous. Dina was ethereal. Dina offered to switch seats with Josie as her sister, Talia, had always been a nervous flyer and Dina always sat next to her. That eased Ellie's worries slightly; Josie, despite her positive outlook, couldn't seem to calm Ellie down throughout the first flight.

"So Ellie, are you excited to get to England?" Dina asked after the safety demonstration.

"I'm excited to get off this plane. But yeah, I can't wait to just play some football and it's pretty cool that we get to do it in a new country too. Are you?"

"Yeah, like you said, I'm ready to play. Though, that might change by the time we get to England since I'll probably want to sleep first." Dina replied, knowing that that jet lag would hit within the coming days, or hours.

A familiar dread seeped into Ellie's body as she realised that the plane was taking off, Dina having distracted her whilst the plane taxied. Her shaking hand found it's place on the arm rest, the death white grip following suit. Dina took her hand and asked, "is this okay?"

"Yeah..." Ellie shakily responded, her nerves rerouting and now focusing on the beautiful girl holding her hand.

"Who's your favourite player?" Dina asked, her delicate eyes showing a hint of concern and sympathy.

"Uh..women's or men's? Well, Miedema for women's, Pulisic for men's. Yours?"

"Wow, a girl with taste! Miedema for me too, I don't really watch much men's football, I'd say Coutinho though." Dina replied, her hand still intertwined with Ellie's, despite the girl seemingly calming down. Ellie preferred to hold Dina's hand which provided her with a sense of security, unlike the cold arm rest that she was used to.

As their conversation died down, Ellie's mind ran miles. She thought about Joel and how much she would miss him, she thought about who she would be rooming with in England and hoped that they'd get along. Ellie had always kept to herself and it took her years to open up to Joel. Ellie didn't really make friends at school, she didn't seem to fit into any of the typical cliques, not that she minded. It was lonely sometimes, but Ellie was used to the feeling. She was worried that her own introversion would cause her to not fit in with her teammates. Thankfully Josie had spoken to her and Dina seems to want to speak to her, so at least she has two new friends, if she could call them that.

Josie had told Ellie that Dina was another striker, and a good one at that. She hoped that the two could play together and maybe create a partnership. In her old team, Ellie was used to competing as another striker, Tegan, was adamant that Ellie didn't deserve her place in the squad. Nevertheless, Ellie only missed two games and Tegan only played two.

A short burst of turbulence shook Ellie from her thoughts, her hand gripping Dina's with more force than before. Dina's head, which had subconsciously fallen onto Ellie's shoulder, turned to look at her. "Hey, you're okay. Shouldn't last long. So Ellie, where are you from?" Dina asked whilst gently stroking her thumb over Ellie's hand.

It took Ellie a few seconds to stop looking around frantically. "Uh, I'm actually from Jackson, haven''t really branched out too far."

"Oh wow, me too! Do you know Eugene's electric store? I live just up the road from that." Dina's surprise was evident as the majority of the team were from the surrounding cities.

"Next to that coffee shop? Yeah I don't live too far from there either. That's pretty cool. I'm surprised I haven't seen you around."

"You wouldn't forget my face if you had!" Dina jested.

"Wow, I didn't peg you as the cocky type."

"What type did you peg me as?" Dina asked. Ellie felt her cheeks getting warmer as she couldn't tell the girl next to her the truth.

"Uh...I dunno, you're pretty cool..."

"You have a beautiful way with words, Ellie. Ever considered poetry? Dina asked, sarcasm dripping from every word and an amused smile on her lips.

"Oh shut up, you put me on the spot!" Ellie joked back, looking over at Josie who had fallen asleep against the window.

"Won't happen again, and that's because I'm...pretty cool."

"Shut up, I'm going to sleep." Ellie quipped, not expecting Dina's response.

"Wanna lay your head on me? I...It's just that I know how uncomfortable it can be..." Dina's confident facade broke ever so slightly, allowing Ellie to sense some vulnerability from Dina.

"That'd be great, thank you Dina." Ellie said wholeheartedly, hoping to ease the other girls worries. "Is it alright if I put some music on? I just can't seem to sto-" Ellie paused when she felt Dina gently squeeze her hand.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, or on a plane. Don't worry about me, I'll probably fall asleep soon too. Sleep well, Ellie." Dina said, positioning her body so that Ellie could rest her head against her. It wasn't long thereafter that Ellie fell asleep, the soft music filling her ears and drowning out the noise within the plane.

It was a strange feeling, Dina letting Ellie rest her head against her. She hadn't expected the kind gesture but she appreciated it nonetheless. Her earlier worries that the team wouldn't like her was proving to have been her own anxiety, with the only two people she's spoken to seeming to like her enough. More often than not, Ellie talked herself out of entering uncomfortable situations, but the opportunity to join Jackson F.C was too big to miss. She knew that it would be challenging, going to a new country and meeting new people, but the real challenge for Ellie was making sure that she got a starting spot on the team. There were around thirty girls and only eleven of them would get a starting spot. With how successful the team was, Ellie was certain that her teammates would be some of the best. Ellie didn't want to come all this way to find out that she wasn't good enough to be one of those eleven.

Ellie's mind stopped racing once sleep finally overcame her, a much needed sleep as she realised how draining traveling could be. The rest of the girls, aside from the two next to Ellie whom were also asleep, buzzed with excitement as they wondered where they could visit, imitated English accents and played time-consuming games.

It took a while for Ellie to stir from her sleep, her eyes, and brain, slowly adjusting to her surroundings. She very quickly realised that, unlike the other times she'd awoken from sleep, someone's head was resting against her own and their hands were intertwined. Once Ellie had come to her senses, she realised that Dina had fallen asleep against her, as she said she would, whilst Ellie was sleeping. It felt nice to share that contact with someone, not that Ellie was about to admit that out loud. She didn't want to scare her new friend off before they actually got to England.

Ellie checked the time on her phone and realised that they'd been flying for around six hours. She decided that she needed a way to pass the time without Dina or Josie's entertainment so opted for a movie on the screen that was positioned in the seat in front of her. She'd never seen a TV screen in a chair before, but she was thankful that she had a way to pass a few hours of the flight. She opted for the Lord of the Rings trilogy as she knew that each film was around three hours.

Around three quarters of the way through the film, another surge of turbulence shook the plane. Ellie's hand gripped Dina's stronger than before, and she felt Dina gently tap her shoulder. Ellie looked at Dina and saw that she wanted to speak to her so took her headphones out. "What'cha watching?" Dina asked.

"Lord of the Rings, I assume you've heard of it? The one with hobbits and rings and Sauron?"

"Mmmhhm, I've never watched them though."

"You've never...watched them? Dina, it's a must. You can't live your life without watching them!" Ellie argued, an amused tone underneath her shock.

"Well, why don't we just watch them together? Now, I mean...How far into the first one are you?"

"Uh, like three quarters? But we can restart, I don't mind."

"You sure? Wanna share headphones?" Dina asked.

"Y-yeah, sure. It's like three hours long so don't be falling asleep on me." Ellie quipped, not actually minding if Dina fell asleep.

"What are you guys watching?" Josie asked after she saw the two passing headphones.

"Lord of the Rings, you wanna join?" Dina asked, though Ellie expected the girl to say no.

"Oh god no, I saw my brother watching it once and it looks terrifying! Where is the romance?" Josie replied. She was clearly not a fan of the fantasy genre.

"There isn't enough time for romance when orcs and trolls are trying to kill you." Ellie said.

"There's always time for romance, Ellie!" Josie exclaimed, clearly not quite understanding how powerful the one ring was.

Meanwhile, Dina had situated her head against Ellie's shoulder so that she could see the screen better. Dina had her own screen, and could've pressed play at the same time as Ellie, but opted to watch it on Ellie's instead. Ellie assumed that the girl stayed close to her to keep Ellie calm, and she had to admit, her mind was no longer on the fact she was shuttling through the air at 30,000 feet.

As the movie played on, Dina kept asking Ellie questions throughout which Ellie found endearing. It felt as though Dina was genuinely interested in the film and not just watching it for Ellie's sake. It was unbeknownst to Ellie how much time had actually passed as they had flown through the first and second film, now around halfway through the third one. It wasn't until the captain announced that their descent would begin that Ellie realised it wouldn't be long until they were landing. She had had gentle conversation with Josie throughout the flight, but Dina had truly calmed her nerves throughout the flight and she couldn't be more grateful for that.

Time continued to pass and once again it was time for the dreaded landing. Ellie gripped Dina's familiar hand and attempted to steady her breathing as the barely lit green fields contrasted with the colossal city scapes came into view. "We'll be down soon, don't worry," Dina said, her thumb gently caressing Ellie's hand. Perhaps from an outsider's perspective their newfound friendship seemed to be advancing quickly, but Ellie knew that Dina was just doing this to help calm her down, and it was working. Eventually, after closing her eyes, the plane was landed and Ellie realised that they would have to do that all over again on the way home. "Fuck." Ellie muttered, though the good news was that she had two months to prepare for the experience.

"Hello there, the time is currently 3:42am and the weather is faint rain. Thank you for flying with British Airways and enjoy your stay." There was a general chatter that filled the air as the plane was taxied to the airport. Once the seatbelt sign turned off and bags were collected, Josie, Dina and Ellie followed the rest of the team through the plane, the tunnel and into the airport.

Ellie could not be happier that she was on the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally the team have made it to England! From here we will see more interaction between the characters. Thank you for reading, I appreciate it so much! I haven't planned each chapter so I am sort of improvising as I go!
> 
> I also edited the time that they arrived because I completely forgot about timezones for a second haha!


End file.
